The Last Prophet
by Zurui Karasu
Summary: Not the usual Post Try epic, Val is the last of his kind, and as the last Ancient Dragon, so is he the last prophet of a secret, dubious Order, but with that power, comes a web of lies, danger, deceit, and forbidden love that threaten to tear him apart.
1. Prologue

Author's note: Now here's something interesting, not your typical post Try epic I assure you!  It will contain such graphic and potentially damaging things such as dialogue (Gasp), action, (Double gasp) and even, a smidgen of clean heterosexual romance (Keep the children away!!)  It will also contain some tamer items for the concerned parent, like good ol' fashioned violence, blood, and the obligatory gore, swearing, and slash, I like to think that the good outweighs the bad in this fic, and it can be family fun for everyone!

Disclaimer: Oh man, I need to do one for this one!  Typical junk, "The Slayers" Xellos, Filia, Val, Gaav, and all the rest quite unfortunately don't belong to me, I just get to borrow and torment them for a while!  Any character appearing in this fan fiction and not in the anime is property of me, and I'll let you borrow and torture them if you ask me niiicely!  *Works on her plans to steal Gaav and Val and make them hers for eternity*

All that said and done, do enjoy, "The Last Prophet"!

* * *

**The Last Prophet**

**_Prologue_**

_In which some mysterious dark figures converse mysteriously and a mysteriously devious plan is hatched_

Two figures stood sentinel in the darkness of the cavern, grinning and baring menacing sets of gleaming white fangs at the wisp of red fiery energy that crackled, sparked and hissed madly within a clear glass globe pinched securely between a wicked set of claws.  They regarded each other sternly, almost hatefully, the enmity that passed between them tacit and suppressed as they each thought how to break the unpleasantly silent stalemate in which they so often found themselves, particularly on the eve of a mutual fruition of plots.

"This is still a rather unpleasant partnership you realize…" droned the striking female figure at last in a smug, seductive voice, grating a nail along the orb in her grip and sending the insolent flame inside reeling.

"It is true, but as much as I hate to admit it, and you should too, my dear, this task would be quite impossible without both of us," the tall male shadow replied in an equally aloof and apathetic tone but with an icy resonance to his curt voice.  The woman shrugged in begrudging accord and went back to fondling the brightly flashing energy caged and harnessed within the glass prison, which flared and hurled itself furiously against the domed walls, incensed only further by a cruel cackle of amusement.

"You're very right!  But oh- this is truly sad!  Still such a little spitfire!  Is this all that's left?" she purred, displaying the tuft of flame to her companion.

"It's enough," he responded shortly, glaring in the opposite direction, "We only need a little to complete the spell, and as soon as our servants return with the rest of the ingredients, we can complete our separate parts of the plan, as we discussed, on our own."

Sneering, the woman turned up her nose at the man appropriately far away from her person and affectionately cradled the glittering ball in both hands, bringing it to her eyelevel and shaking it experimentally.

"Oh yes, that silly agreement we made…" she mused thoughtfully, smirking sadistically as the flame was rolled haplessly along the interior, "But my dear favorite little servant!  How I do miss him!"

"Don't turn your back on me now, I know how you are, but I take things quite seriously, and I believe that this will all work, if we can merely cooperate," his cool, velvet voice drifted into the stale air as if out of place as he spoke, turning cold eyes on the woman beside him expectantly.

"Of course it will work, his pathetic ties to that horrible little creature are undeniable!  I am just as dedicated to this as you, and as much as I'd love to just take what is mine, this is by far a better arrangement," sniped the feral creature in retort, lips coiling nastily as the spirited flame blazed in fury and illumined her cruel and grotesquely amused irises.

"I never imagined that we'd have this much power under control, and if we can continue to force and mandate utter obedience, everything will be exceedingly simple," the man replied broodingly, sauntering the few steps to the woman's side and prodded at the orb where the crimson blaze sparked and shrank away from his finger while it was cast a hungry grin, "Oh don't act so cold old friend, we're merely trying to help…"

"And in return, all we ask is you help us!' the woman added airily, ears pricking up as a distant sound reached them, and the spirit inside the glass was instantly forgotten, "But now, it seems our servants have returned with our supplies…"

The duo exchanged grins, and set the orb gingerly in the fangs of a twisted black stand before an altar, where the flame inside hopped and skipped wildly about, until tiny blue bolts of stinging magic from the open jowls of the beast that was its resting place pacified it into a smoldering ember of fury.  They paid it no heed after it settled, and swept grandly out of the cavern toward the entrance, where several battered Mazoku awaited on bent knee with satchels containing rare and precious items that had significantly reduced the number of them that had returned.

"Shall we go meet them then, my dear?  They are indeed right on time," the velvet male voice chimed from somewhere within a shadow.

"I believe that is an excellent idea, and we shall have to get started on the spell as soon as possible, the moon is nearly full," the harsh female voice answered brightly, chortling to herself and narrowing her eyes as she cast the caged fire a devious glance over her shoulder, "And it's almost that special day…  I do so hate waiting…"

The flickering purple torches lighting the dank cavern spluttered and died with tiny final exhalations of blue smoke, letting the darkness creep slowly back over the lone orb, which blazed defiantly on, even as all other lights went out.

_End prologue_

* * *

_So who are these mysterious villains and what are they plotting mysteriously with their mysteriously mysterious ways?  And most importantly for WHO??  You'll just have to wait and see!  How long?  A while!  Chapter 1 is all happy fluff and story introducing things!  Sheesh who do you think I am?  Someone who'd have their most evil and scheming ultimate villains revealed in chapter 1…?  Pffft…_

_Stay tuned for Chapter 1!_


	2. Chapter 1

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Author's note: And fiiiinally chapter 1!! Maan I hope people come back for this one!! We have characters we all know and love now!! Come ooon, grown up Val!! SEXY grown up Val! And some normal Slayer hijinks!! This is merely a precursor of things to come, and as always, the disclaimer applies and do enjoy the first chapter!

* * *

Chapter One

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In which someone dreams, a momentous occasion is celebrated, and many an old friend come to pay older friends a visit

Winds swept, careened and leapt nimbly over and through towering blades of crisp grass wildly which gleamed and shimmered in jagged waves over the sprawling low hills as they bent and buckled under the gale and finally flashed through closed lids. He lay still on his stomach upon the warm earth, face turned to the ambient glow of a faded sun, listening to the frantic whistling, and feeling his shoulder length hair whip across his tender exposed cheek and neck. Spears of grass washed over him in torrents, then receded as his eyes slowly drifted open of their own accord, at first welcomed only by waving stalks of green. They quickly flattened, however, and dispelled beneath a pale blue sky flecked with yellowed clouds.

He contemplated moving, but found no compelling reason to, for the ground was warm and soft beneath him, and the wind carried the sweet scents of pollen and broken grass shoots across the silent meadow, and whispered scant, soothing words into his ear. He felt a content smile spread across his lips as the clouds coursed rapidly over the sky flaring, shrinking and dying with the yellow light, and he began to close his eyes once more. If he could sink beneath the fragile earth and become one with it, to fly and exist as the sky and fields, it would complete, but a deep chuckle echoed in the air, and shattered the peace.

He looked on, and a brilliant flame seared across the emerald stalks, but did not burn it, merely fluttered and danced playfully in the air, lighted atop the welcoming grass, flashed brilliantly and moved on, obscuring a shadowed form. It turned from within it, raising an eyebrow over a deep blue eye and smirked fondly, placing its hands on its hips as the young man struggled from the comfort of the soil and raised his body to get a clearer look.

"Hello?" the man called experimentally, heart pounding as the shadow visibly noticed him.

"Hey there you are!" it laughed lovingly, "I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see you again!"

"Excuse me, do we know each other?" the earth bound soul asked bewilderedly after a short silence.

"Maybe, I'm not really sure! Kinda funny that way huh? I think I just forgot…" the blackness wreathed in gentle flame replied, vague facial features flashing with friendly emotion.

"Maybe…" came the soft answer, as the youth gently lifted himself onto his feet to peer more closely at his companion, "Then where are we?"

"Hell if I know…" the shadow replied with a shrug, "Mind telling me?"

"I would if I could, but I don't think I know either…" the other soul admitted sheepishly, "Perhaps if you… Came closer we could figure it out?"

"I would if I could," the enflamed pitch laughed amiably, clear blue eyes glinting in the warm light, "But I think we'll just have to wait and see…"

A flash of white engulfed his vision as it spread in a grin across the black and flaming shadow before him. It exploded and seared into his very being as the flames licked tenderly at his body and sent it hurtling into a black abyss. He fell, arms outstretched, black feathers hurtling downward faster than his body, swirling and beckoning him as a point of blue light pulsed and flashed and reached with emaciated arms to snatch him in their bright embrace as everything burst into a blinding hue of white.

__

"This vision…" an airy voice suspended over a hazy sheet of glassy water whispered, "What is it?"

"He is dreaming…" a second harsher one replied, waving a slender clawed hand over the pool and sending the image sinking downward into the blackness of the vessel.

"But it is so clear… Is it a foretelling?"

"No… I do not know what it is, but what I do know is that it is frighteningly strong for someone untrained… It is nearly time…"

* * *

With a gasp and a start, Val's eyes snapped open as he sat bolt upright in bed breathing heavily and gripping his sheets savagely in one hand. His body and tangled teal hair were moist with sweat while the vision slowly faded from his memory and the reality of his small room came into focus. Gray morning light filtered pleasantly from his drawn linen curtains, the vanity with the antique brass mirror still stood on the opposite side of the room from his bed, and the deep cherry red wood floor boards looked musty and cracked as usual even in what little light there was in the room. Reassured he was back in his own home and not out in a grassy field, the ancient closed his eyes and sighed heavily in relief, a tiny grin curling across his lips as he flopped back into his soft mattress. He ran both hands through his tresses and swallowed hard as he tried wracked his mind vainly to retain the crystalline images of the familiar dream in his head.

"That dream again…" Val wondered quietly to himself, crossing his forearms over his eyes, "What does it mean…? It just keeps getting clearer, and I almost saw the person this time… Damn, but I was so close! Who is it…? I wonder if I-"

He had little time to wonder, however, for gentle knock at his shut door interrupted his thoughts and he cracked one eye open to glare through it at the person responsible, groan loudly, and make it a point not to answer until spoken to.

"Val? Val, sweetheart, are you awake?" a familiar, tender female voice implored softly as not to rudely rouse him should he still be asleep.

"Yeah I am Mom, I was just getting up, I'll be down in a few minutes!" he called back, throwing his legs dejectedly over the side of the bed and hoisting himself erect.

"Oh! Okay! I'll be down in the kitchen starting on dinner!" his mother chirped in response, to which Val raised an eyebrow.

"Dinner? Now? This early?!" he asked incredulously.

"Well of course! You forget _who_ we're having over for dinner tonight! Now get dressed fast and come down!" came the cheerful answer, "And Val? Happy birthday!"

"Oh yeah, them… Today…" mused Val fondly shocked at himself for forgetting the day, and hopped from his bed to fling open the top drawer of his dresser across the room, "And thanks Mom!"

Val grinned at himself with the sudden overwhelming remembrance in the vanity mirror, thinking affectionately upon the group of rowdy family friends that had not been to the house in what to him seemed like an eternity. With a renewed energy he retrieved and tugged his favorite deep blue silk tunic embroidered with a flame red dragon down his right side over his head swiftly before running a brush in a brief, cursory manner through his shoulder length locks and then tossing it unceremoniously back to the tabletop. Briskly stripping the cotton pants he wore to bed in favor of his favorite pair of suede ones, he jammed his legs into them while hopping out the door to his bedroom, into his boots which lay in the hall by the door, and bounded down the stairs into the family room.

The doors to the pottery and weapons shop area on the left were shut and locked tightly, in accordance to the promise of keeping the store closed to celebrate his birthday Val had demanded. On the contrary, the double doors to the kitchen on the right of the spacious living room rested slightly ajar, revealing even before the Ancient dragon reached the bottom of the staircase the golden blur of hair and silver pots that was Filia, scurrying from the oven to the stove and back to the oven again while a rather irked looking Gravos stood with jars, plates, and utensils balanced and held in any place he could. 

A red streak flashed under the knees of the other two every so often, tripping and crashing spectacularly, offering sincere and groveling pleas for forgiveness after any particularly large crash, while an utterly amused laughter echoed above it all. The accompanying sounds of bubbling pots, steaming kettles, irate shrieking and a plethora of squeaky apologies assaulted Val's ears the moment he cleared the final step with a leap, but his pleased and loving smile was far from feigned as he swept gallantly into the kitchen, arms spread wide.

"Okay, I'm up! I'm here! The day has officially begun, shower me with praise and gifts!" he proclaimed loudly, and was promptly barreled into by a flurry of red fur.

"'Appy birthday master Val!" Jillas practically shrieked as he flung his paws around his waist, bushy tail flailing back and forth ecstatically, and toothy grin plastered to his muzzle.

"Ah! Well good morning to you too, and thanks Jillas!" Val chortled in response, ruffling the coarse russet fur atop the fox's head.

"I got ya somethin' extra special this year!" he chirruped gleefully, adding as an afterthought, single vulpine eye gleaming mischievously, "But you'll 'afta wait until afta dinner for it jus' like th'rest!"

"Aw, hey, don't tell me that! You know I hate waiting!" Val whined theatrically with a feigned sneer.

"I know! And I like ta torture ya! But! Duty calls, I'd best be off ta work! 'Appy birthday again!" chimed Jillas, who waggled his tail for a brief moment before seizing Val around the waist adoringly once more. He skittered off, but nearly caused the entire organized process of dinner to come to a screeching halt as he dove precariously under Gravos' legs who happened to be ambling cautiously to the stove toting several large pots where Filia stood tapping a foot expectantly.

Val cracked a wry smirk as Filia shrieked in horror, the vessels rattled threateningly before mercifully not falling, and a stream of curses from both her mouth and the beast man's filled the air. He flopped into his favorite spot at the kitchen table as Jillas ducked beneath it on his escape route from the kitchen, and was suddenly exceedingly grateful to be exempt from cooking that morning. For only a moment however, for a pair of arms encircled his waist the instant he released the breath he had been holding, and he managed not to gasp in surprise as a velvety voice whispered close to his ear.

"A very happy birthday to you, and many happy returns!" it chirped, as the owner thrust a long, thin package wrapped in gold paper tauntingly under his nose.

"If that's for me, you'd better not…." the ancient began warningly, raising a hand as the gift danced mockingly in the air. 

Val made a feeble grasp for it, when disappeared predictably from view and he turned around to the very expected sight of a pale grinning face framed in long, deep purple tresses and a gloved finger raised in front of it.

"Now now, Val, is that any way to get what you want?" Xellos chided amiably, sliding the box under his cloak and sliding one eye open.

"Of course not! Which is why I do it! Now is it really any way to treat your dear beloved son by tormenting him with forbidden gifts so early on his birthday?" Val retorted with a grin.

"Oh absolutely and utterly not! Which is why I do it!" echoed Xellos as Val leapt from his chair laughing and into his arms where he gladly returned the fond embrace.

Filia made a point to allow a small scene of sentimentalism, solely because of a brief cessation in cooking proceedings where nothing needed express attention at the moment, but soon decided the hug had lasted quite long enough when a pot began to bubble over on the stove and sent its lid crashing spectacularly in a hail of white sauce to the ground.

"Xellos darling! You'll have plenty of time to love our son later!" she barked pointing with a wooden spoon to the offending dish, "But right now dinner needs your attention!"

Xellos glanced to the steaming white puddle oozing from the stove and upset lid, then back to Val with a shrug and released him.

"Well, then I suppose I should get back to it! Wouldn't want to pay the price for it later…" he purred, winking in Filia's direction who fortunately did not notice.

"I'd like to have you around a bit longer, to you know, see me get married hold grandchildren and all that, so yes, go, but thanks Dad," Val answered, and hugged the Mazoku tightly once more before he escaped to the stove to tend to his section of the kitchen and block a spoon hurled at him with deadly accuracy.

The young ancient watched his adoptive family scuttle about the kitchen amusedly for a time, and barely noticed when Jillas rammed a steaming cup of coffee under his nose, but took it gratefully. The day had dawned with the strange reoccurring dream that was somehow clearer than it had ever been, but it was far from Val's mind as he inhaled the scents of his favorite foods, and a few other people's choices, and rose from the table to offer his assistance as Gravos received a rather violent throttling from Filia with a ladle. Val merely watched as he sidled cautiously out of the way and to the unattended dish on the stove, knowing it was be certain to be a most momentous birthday.

* * *

Elsewhere things were abnormally far less chaotic as a group of four people trudged, half of them starving but still miraculously amiable, down the wide dirt road wending its way through pleasant grass fields to the outskirts of the white magic metropolis Seiruun city. None could recall the last time they had all walked the same road together, all had for years either been consumed in royal duties, searching libraries temples and tomes, or merely existing, happy to destroy bandit gangs, rob, destroy and make a comfortable life. The old friends had no objection to being together again, nor the cause of it, an invitation out of nowhere to join yet another comrade to celebrate their greatest victory in the happiest way possible, and through the misery and protestations of empty stomachs, the thought of it managed to keep them all somewhat sane. 

The comforts of the palace where they had all agreed to meet before setting out for their old friends' home were missed immensely, as after spending a luxurious night in velvet covered beds and eating a royal dinner and sharing tales of their lives long into the night before, the decision had been made quite non-unanimously to leave as early as possible and as a result, they had left just as breakfast was beginning to be prepared. Much to their escalating dismay, the thick woods bordering the city loomed a still mocking distance away, and though maintaining a valiant attempt to remain calm, Lina Inverse's infamous temper was not apt to stay confined for long. 

The chipper princess's ramblings and gushings beside her about the beautiful countryside and the gentle clopping of her snow white stallion's hooves were mounting on her nerves, echoed by the muffled grunts Amelia received as answers from the ever silent and still quite literally blue chimera pacing a few steps ahead of her, and the loud wonderment of the tall blonde walking briskly beside her who seemed not to notice the growling in her throat in unison with her stomach.

"Ah! This is just lovely! I never get to come all the way out here anymore!" Amelia sighed happily with a deep luxurious sigh which caused Lina to twitch violently.

"Yeah, beautiful…" the sorceress groused back savagely, "So tell me again Amelia, why did we leave the castle before that fragrant, delicious breakfast they were preparing with such skill and expertise in the kitchen? Hmmm?"

"I already told you Miss Lina, Miss Filia's making a huge meal for us and I didn't want it to be spoiled! Today is a special day for Val and I promised her I wouldn't let any of you do anything that might ruin your appetites after she's worked so hard!" she retorted calmly, still gazing wistfully into the clear blue sky. 

"I hardly think that Filia has very much to worry about in that regard…" Zelgadis muttered more to himself than anything else as Lina fought yet again to restrain herself from tackling Amelia from her mount.

"Why again is this so special anyway? We only could have had a couple of plates for breakfast and then still had plenty of room for dinner!" Gourry observed loudly, putting a hand to his chin and adding as a cheerful afterthought, "And then we wouldn't have had to deal with Lina's temper!"

Amelia and Zelgadis were both unfazed by Lina's outrage at the comment and managed to only wince at particularly loud shrieks as she leapt upon and throttled her dense and confused companion through his shrill protests thoroughly.

"It's special because Val turns eighteen today!" Amelia attempted vainly to interject to her companions, but found herself quite ignored and turned to the chimera still close beside her.

"So, how does Filia know about that whole eighteenth birthday thing anyway?" Zelgadis ventured softly as the other two finished the brawl and silently rejoined the ranks, bristling and rubbing fresh bruises.

"Right before little Val hatched she was at the Seiruun library all the time reading about Ancient Dragons, their lives, their cultures and rituals and it turns out their eighteenth birthday, for both males and females, is a traditional coming of age celebration," Amelia proudly responded followed by a positively swooning sigh, "Isn't it just absolutely _wonderful?_ To see such a tormented young man grown up again without any pain so happy and loved by everyone around him, to carry on the last of his blood and now to be ushered into manhood and the world that's just waiting for him?"

The rest of the group found it much less nauseating and painful to ignore the crowned princess of Seiruun as she launched into a rambling tirade about the oppression of the Ancients and how just it was that the last Golden had raised the last Ancient to such a milestone and how thrilled she had been to have witnessed it personally.

"Coming of age? I don't get it, what does that mean?" Gourry mumbled in Lina's general direction under Amelia's incessant prattling.

"It means Val's a man now you idiot… You know, coming of age, being considered an adult, for some races and cultures it's a big deal!" She snarled cantankerously back, resorting to kicking pebbles down the dusty road to prevent herself from harming anyone else.

"Well I know all that, but what does it mean? Does he get any responsibilities or anything like that? Where I come from when a boy became a man he always had to decide what he was going to do with his life!" the swordsman elaborated, abnormal clarity laced in his dumbfounded sounding speech.

"Unusually perceptive Gourry," Zelgadis retorted with a smirk, "I have to wonder myself if Filia found anything like that out. It's not unusual for people to accept jobs or even new powers in their cultures when they're considered 'of age' after all, and not just boys."

"Oh no one knows! Let's all just shut up and keep walking before I pass out and die from starvation already!" Lina howled as Gourry raised a finger to reply, and swiftly charged ahead.

The unsuspecting Amelia's formerly assiduous speech was abruptly halted with a shriek as Lina seized the jewel encrusted reins of her horse and took off running, the well trained and obedient beast following suit and happily easing into a brisk canter. The princess perched delicately sidesaddle on his back, however, pitched forward with the sudden movement and crashed into his braided mane, where she struggled for a few moments and finally managed to claw herself back upright.

"Miss Lina! Please have a little patience!" she whined, but only Lina's enraged shrieking answered her as the group wearily trudged on down the same dirt road still praying that it would end.

* * *

_Val has a strange reoccurring dream, Lina and the others come for a visit! This could most DECIDEDLY spell out disaster, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter to see!!_

_Stay tuned for Chapter 2!_


End file.
